Container having a sealing cap and a tear-off ring

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a container (1) having an opening (9) and an opening section (10), which extends in a cylinder shape, proceeding from the opening (9), which container comprises a sealing cap (3) that is removably fixed to the container (1) and seals the opening (9) when in a closed position and has a substantially cylindrical shell surface (30), which encloses the opening section (10) at least in part when in the position. Interacting latching elements (17, 34) are provided on closed position. Interacting latching elements (17, 34) are provided on an inner surface of the shell surface (30) of the sealing cap (3) and on an outer surface of the opening section (10). A peripheral protrusion (13) is provided below the latching elements (17, 34) in the opening section (10). A ring (5) is peripherally connected on the top edge (50) thereof to the shell surface (30) of the sealing cap via a tear-off skin (7). The tear-off skin (7) contacts the first protrusion (13) of the originally sealed container.

The invention relates to a container having a mouth section and a sealing cap that is removably fixed to the container, which have interacting latching elements, wherein the mouth section has a circumferential protrusion and, furthermore, a ring is provided which is circumferentially connected to the outer surface via a tear-off film.

The prior art discloses a multiplicity of variants of containers and seals which have a tamperproof seal and/or a childproof device. They can be implemented by means of different arrangements, e.g. with the help of partially circumferential cams and with tear-off bands. It is often necessary for such a container in its original, still unopened state to seal the content against the environment. Furthermore, it may be required that a desiccant is provided inside the container to protect moisture-sensitive contents.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,829 shows an arrangement of an attachment that is fitted on a container and a sealing cap fixed to it. Before the sealing part of the sealing cap can be removed, a tear-off band must be removed, which thus represents a tamperproof mark. Furthermore, the sealing cap must be brought into a certain position in relation to the attachment in order to be able to remove it. This mechanism represents a childproof device.

Further childproof lids are known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,054 A, DE 19712364 A1, DE 69202489 T2, EP 0217630 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,599 A.

In particular before opening the seal of a container for the first time, the seal should be tight to allow a longer shelf life of the elements contained in the container, e.g. pharmaceutical tablets or the like. In this context it is known to cover the opening of the container with a sealing foil. However, the disadvantage here is that the desiccant must be introduced into the container in a separate work step before the sealing foil is applied. In this case, however, it is not possible to attach the desiccant to the inside of the sealing cap of the container because the sealing foil would prevent the desiccant from fulfilling its function with respect to the content of the container.

It is therefore an object of the invention to create in particular a container which has a tamperproof seal and which in the original closed state is substantially tightly sealed against liquid vapor, in particular water vapor.

According to the invention, this is achieved with a container of the aforementioned type, in which the tear-off film is in contact with the first protrusion. The container therefore has an opening and a mouth section that extends substantially cylindrical starting from the opening. A sealing cap is provided on the container, which sealing cap closes the opening in a closed position and can be removed from the opening, and which has a substantially cylindrical shell surface which, in the closed position, at least partially encloses the mouth section. Preferably, the shell surface completely encloses the mouth section in the circumferential direction. On an inner surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap and on an outer surface of the mouth section, first interacting latching elements are provided so that in the closed position, the sealing cap and the container are reliably connected to each other and the sealing cap is held on the container, e.g. when turning the sealing cap from the intended position of use of the container, in which the opening is located at the top, in the vertical direction to an inverted position, with the container opening being at the bottom. These first interacting latching elements may, for example, constitute a childproof mechanism or part of a mechanism for childproofing the sealing cap of the container.

Below the first interacting latching elements, a first circumferential protrusion is provided in the mouth section of the container. Furthermore, a ring is provided, the upper edge of which is circumferentially connected to the shell surface by a tear-off film. The ring is configured in particular in such a manner that the sealing cap cannot be removed from the container without opening or breaking the ring; i.e. the ring is designed in particular as a tamperproof cap. According to the invention, the tear-off film is in contact with the first protrusion in a closed position. The tear-off film is thus at the same time a sealing film which, in contact with the first projection, provides a sealing effect against moisture entering the container. In order to fulfil this purpose particularly well, the tear-off film is preferably in circumferential contact with the first protrusion. The first protrusion can also serve, for example, as a protection against manipulation of the sealing cap of the container with a tool. In particular, it can prevent a sharp object from being driven under the shell surface of the lid.

In a preferred embodiment of the container, it is provided that the container has a second preferably circumferential protrusion and that the ring has a protrusion on its inside, the two protrusions being formed as second latching elements and being in a latching connection with each other. Since the ring is connected to the sealing cap via the tear-off film, these second latching elements can prevent the sealing cap from being removed and/or twisted as long as the tear-off film is intact. Preferably, one or both of the protrusions are circumferential and are in a latching connection with each other in such a manner that axial movement relative to the substantially cylindrical mouth section is prevented. This latching connection may also have a sealing effect and/or additional sealing may be provided between the second latching elements. Furthermore, it may preferably be provided that the ring itself protrudes below the second protrusion of the container in the closed state.

In the closed position of the sealing cap, the second latching elements are preferably connected under tensile force acting substantially in the longitudinal direction of the container. In this manner, the tear-off film is under tension, so that the tear-off film is pressed against the first protrusion, thus improving the sealing between tear-off film and protrusion. In a preferred embodiment, the ring has a predetermined breaking point. The ring can therefore serve in particular as a tamperproof seal, which can be torn open at the predetermined breaking point and subsequently separated from the sealing cap by tearing the tear-off film. The predetermined breaking point is preferably configured as a material thinning. Thus, the ring can also serve as a sealing, as it is tight all around. Furthermore, the ring preferably has a grip element. The latter is shaped in such a manner that pulling on it breaks the ring at the predetermined breaking point and tears the tear-off film so that the ring is separated from the sealing cap. Preferably, the grip element is located near the predetermined breaking point. More preferably, it has a label and/or a symbol, for example an arrow, which indicates the direction in which the ring should be pulled to separate the ring from the sealing cap.

In another preferred embodiment, the first interacting latching elements are formed as an outwardly protruding snap bead on the mouth section and as an inwardly protruding snap bead on the shell surface.

To ensure a reliable latching connection between the latching elements, it is provided in an advantageous embodiment that the snap bead in the mouth section extends substantially around the container, except for a mouth section.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the snap bead on the shell surface is divided into at least one retaining bead and one opening bead, and the snap bead is interrupted between these two beads, the opening bead being smaller than the mouth section. In this manner, when the opening bead is aligned with the opening portion by turning the sealing cap, the opening bead can be moved through the opening section by pulling in the direction of the opening of the container. The childproofing features of the sealing cap are thus achieved by the fact that a further step is required, namely aligning the opening bead with the mouth section, before it is possible to remove them from the container by pulling in the direction of the opening.

In a preferred embodiment, the retaining bead extends substantially over one half or a fraction less than one half of the circumference of the shell surface. More preferably, this half is located approximately opposite the opening bead. Preferably, the retaining bead has one or more interruptions, wherein the one interruption is located, for example, in the middle of the retaining bead. By such an arrangement, removing the ring is facilitated when the latter has been turned into the appropriate position, since pulling the opening bead through the mouth section is not hindered by the retaining bead, and elastic deformation of the sealing cap subsequently allows the retaining bead to be pulled over the outwardly protruding snap bead of the mouth area.

Advantageously, the container has an indicator which shows the position of the mouth-section-side opening section. There is a multiplicity of possible embodiments for this indicator, for example it can be configured in the form of an engraving, a bulge, sections of a knurling and/or a label. The extent of the indicator can correspond approximately to that of the mouth section and/or be aligned with it in the radial direction. Furthermore, the sealing cap advantageously has an opening tab on an outer surface, which opening tab is substantially aligned with the opening bead in the radial direction. By combining the features of the indicator and the opening tab, which can also be designed independently of each other, aligning the opening bead on the mouth section is facilitated.

For example, the opening tab can be configured as a ramp, the extent of which in the radial direction can correspond approximately to the extent of the opening bead. Here, the lower side of the ramp is preferably the side closer to the lower edge of the sealing cap. Particularly preferably, the opening tab is located directly above the lower edge of the sealing cap. All these embodiments also make it easier to remove the sealing cap, because by pulling/pressing on the opening tab when the opening bead is aligned with the opening section, the opening bead can be pulled through the opening section and/or the sealing cap is deformed elastically in such a manner that the retaining bead can be pulled over the outwardly protruding snap bead of the mouth area.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the sealing cap has a holder on the side facing the container in the closed position, which holder can be used, for example, to hold a desiccant. This allows the desiccant to be attached already to or in the sealing cap before the cap is placed on the container. Thus, a separate step of inserting the desiccant into the container is not required. After attaching the sealing cap with the tear-off film of the (tamperproof) ring providing a closure to the container that is substantially sealed against liquid vapor, a container that is substantially tightly sealed and, at the same time, includes a desiccant can be created in a particular simple manner.

Particularly preferably, the holder is configured as a holder for a desiccant tablet. Particularly preferably, the desiccant tablet is a silica gel or a desiccant based on a molecular sieve. The desiccant can be used, among other things, to extend the shelf life of the content of the container.

It is advantageous if the holder for holding a desiccant tablet is formed cylindrically and has a preferably circumferential holding element in which the desiccant tablet can be accommodated. This facilitates the production process since the desiccant tablet can simply be pushed into the holder after the sealing cap has been manufactured and the desiccant tablet is held in place by the preferably circumferential holding element in the form of a hook-shaped latching element.

In order to facilitate the handling, in particular the twisting, of the sealing cap, it is advantageous if the outer surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap has a knurling. The knurling may cover part of the shell surface of the sealing cap or extend around it on part of the height of the sealing cap or the entire height of the sealing cap. Instead of a knurling, a multiplicity of other shape variations which facilitate handling of the sealing cap may also be provided. In particular, the knurling may be in the form of a grooved or serrated profile, with the grooves/serrations advantageously running parallel to an axial direction of the shell surface.

In order to improve the sealing of the content of the container with respect to the environment and/or also to enable sealing after the ring has been torn off, the inner surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap may advantageously have a substantially circumferential sealing cam and the mouth section may have a sealing surface, the sealing cam and the sealing surface being in contact.

In order to allow for the appropriate stiffness and/or flexibility, it is advantageous if the sealing cap and the ring are injection-molded in one piece and thus have the same material and/or the sealing cap and/or the ring have a softer plastic material, in particular a plastic material with a lower Shore A hardness, for example, a lower Shore A hardness or Shore D hardness, than the container. Preferably, the cap and/or the ring are made of polyethylene and/or an aromatic and/or aliphatic copolyester, for example ECOFlex® or ECOVia® from BASF SE. It is also preferred for the container to be made of polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and/or polylactide (PLA), particularly preferably polypropylene (PP) and/or high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Furthermore, it is advantageous if the tear-off film is thinner than 0.8 mm, particularly preferably has a thickness between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.

Advantageously, the sealing cap and ring are suitable for being slid onto the container in one production step, thus creating a pretension between the container and the sealing cap, the ring and the tear-off film. This can be achieved, for example, in that some or all of the protrusions, parts or all of the first latching elements, the snap beads of the mouth section and/or of the shell surface and/or the sealing cam are designed to be ramp-shaped in the direction of attachment. The pretensioning serves in particular to create or enhance the sealing effect.

The invention described herein is particularly suitable for the storage of drugs, but should not be limited to this field of application.

The invention is further explained below by means of preferred exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings, but without being limited thereto. In the individual drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a container with a sealing cap and a ring attached thereto in a frontal view;

FIG. 2 shows the container with the sealing cap and the ring attached thereto in an oblique top view;

FIG. 3 shows the container in a frontal view from the front;

FIG. 4 shows the container in a frontal view from behind;

FIG. 5 shows the container in a view at an angle from above;

FIG. 6 shows the sealing cap and the ring frontally from the front;

FIG. 7 shows the sealing cap and the ring frontally from the side;

FIG. 8 shows the sealing cap and the ring at an angle from below and at an angle from the front;

FIG. 9 shows the sealing cap and the ring at an angle from below and at an angle from behind;

FIG. 10 shows the sealing cap and the ring in cross-section through plane B;

FIG. 11 shows the sealing cap at an angle from below and at an angle from behind;

FIG. 12 shows the sealing cap from below;

FIG. 13 shows the container and sealing cap in a position in which the sealing cap cannot be removed;

FIG. 14 shows the container and the sealing cap in a position in which the sealing cap can be removed;

FIG. 15 shows the mouth section of the container, the sealing cap and the ring in a cross-section through plane A.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the container 1 with a sealing cap 3 attached thereto and a ring 5 connected to the sealing cap. The container 1 is formed here as a cylinder. On its mouth section 10, which is at least partially covered here, cf., e.g., FIG. 3, the sealing cap 3 and the ring 5 are seated. The sealing cap 3 has a shell surface 30. The upper edge 50 of the ring 5 is circumferentially connected to the shell surface 30 via a tear-off film 4. The shell surface 30 has a knurling 31 and an opening tab 32. The ring 5 has a predetermined breaking point 52 and, close to it, a grip element 51, which additionally has a marking in the form of an arrow indicating the preferred pulling direction. A predetermined breaking point 52 is configured as a material thinning 53.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the container 1 with the mouth section 10 and an opening 9. In the mouth section 10 there is the mouth-section-side portion of first latching elements 17, which here are designed as a snap bead 11 which has an opening section 12, a first circumferential protrusion 13, a sealing surface 14 above the snap bead 11, and a second circumferential protrusion 15. Furthermore, an indicator 16 indicates the position of the opening section 12.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the sealing cap 3 and the ring 5 from a frontal view, wherein the shell surface 30 of the sealing cap 3 is connected to the upper edge 50 of the ring 5 via a tear-off film 7. Furthermore, shown are the opening tab 32, the grip element 51, the predetermined breaking point 52, which is formed as a material thinning 53, and the knurling 31.

The sealing cap 3 and the ring 5 are shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 at an angle from below and in FIG. 10 in a cross-section through plane B (cf. FIG. 6). With respect to the figures already described, it can also be seen here that the sealing cap has shell-surface-side first latching elements which are formed as an inwardly protruding snap bead 34 which is divided into an opening bead 35 and a retaining bead 36. It can be seen that the retaining bead 36 is larger than the opening bead 35 and extends over approximately one half of the circumference of the shell surface 30 opposite the opening bead 35, cf. also FIG. 12, the retaining bead 36 having an interruption 37. Furthermore, it can be seen that the sealing cap 3 has a holder 38 on its side 4 facing the container 1 in the closed position, for example for a desiccant tablet. Furthermore, the sealing cap 3 has a sealing cam 39 which is formed above the first latching elements 33. Furthermore, on its inner side, the ring has a protrusion 54 which, in the closed position before ring 5 is torn off, is in a latching connection with the second preferably circumferentially extending protrusion 15 of the container.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show the sealing cap 3, wherein the ring 5, which is not shown, has been torn off. In particular, the shell-surface-side first latching elements 33 can be seen, which are formed as an inwardly protruding snap bead 34 consisting of an opening bead and a retaining bead 36. The retaining bead 36 is larger than the opening bead 35 and extends over approximately one half of the circumference of the shell surface 30 that is situated opposite the opening bead 35. The retaining bead 36 has an interruption 37.

FIGS. 13 and 14 again show an embodiment of the container 1 and the sealing cap 3 attached to container 1, from which the ring 5 has already been removed. The sealing cap 3 includes the opening tab 32 and the container 1 includes the indicator 16. In FIG. 13, the sealing cap 3 is in a position relative to the container 1 in which the sealing cap 3 cannot be removed from the container 1. In FIG. 14, however, the sealing cap 3 is in a position relative to the container 1 in which the opening tab 32 is aligned with indicator 16 and the sealing cap 3 can therefore be removed from the container 1.

FIG. 15 shows an embodiment of the container 1 with the sealing cap 3 and the ring 5 in a cross-section along plane A (cf. FIG. 1). The container includes the snap bead 11 with the interruption 37, the first protrusion 13, the second protrusion 15, the indicator 16, the sealing surface 14 and a holder 38. The substantially cylindrical holder 38 in this embodiment has a holding element 40 in the form of a circumferential hook-shaped latching element. Thus, a desiccant in tablet form can easily be inserted into the holder 38, in which it is then reliably secured via the holding element 40.

The sealing cap 3 has a shell surface 30 with a sealing cam 39 which rests on the sealing surface 14. Preferably, there is a pretensioning force by which the sealing cam 39 is pulled onto the sealing surface 14, the protrusion 54 on the inside of the ring 5 is pulled against the second protrusion 15 of the container and/or the tear-off film 7, which is configured as a sealing film, is pulled onto the first protrusion 13.

The exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures and explained in connection therewith serve to explain the invention and are not limiting the same. 

1. A container having an opening and a mouth section extending substantially cylindrical starting from the opening, and a sealing cap removably attached to the container and closing the opening in a closed position, and having a substantially cylindrical shell surface which, in the closed position, at least partially encloses the mouth section, wherein first interacting latching elements are provided on an inner surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap and on an outer surface of the mouth section, and a first circumferential protrusion is provided below the first latching element in the mouth section, and a ring is provided, the upper edge of which is circumferentially connected to the shell surface via a tear-off film, wherein the tear-off film is in contact with the first protrusion, the container has a second preferably circumferential protrusion and the ring has a protrusion on its inner side, wherein the second protrusion of the container and the protrusion of the ring are formed as second latching elements and are in a latching connection with one another.
 2. (canceled)
 3. The container according to claim 1, wherein in the closed position of the sealing cap, the second latching elements are connected under tensile force acting substantially in the longitudinal direction of the container.
 4. The container according to claim 1, wherein the ring has a predetermined breaking point, which is preferably configured as a material thinning, and a grip element.
 5. The container according to claim 1, wherein the first interacting latching elements are formed on the mouth section as an outwardly protruding snap bead end on the shell surface as an inwardly protruding snap bead.
 6. The container according to claim 5, wherein the snap bead in the mouth section extends substantially around the container, except for an opening section.
 7. The container according to claim 6, wherein the snap bead on the shell surface is divided into at least one holding section bead and one opening section bead, and the snap bead is interrupted between these two section beads, wherein the shell-surface-side opening section bead is smaller than the mouth-section-side opening section.
 8. The container according to claim 7, wherein the holding section bead extends substantially over one half of the circumference of the shell surface which is situated opposite the opening section bead, wherein the snap bead in the holding section bead preferably has an interruption.
 9. The container according to claim 7, wherein the container has an indicator indicating the position of the mouth-section-side opening section, and the sealing cap has on an outer surface an opening tab which is substantially aligned with the surface-shell-side opening section bead in the radial direction.
 10. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing cap has a holder on the side facing the container in the closed position.
 11. The container according to claim 10, wherein the holder is configured as a holder for a desiccant tablet, wherein the desiccant tablet preferably comprises a silica gel or a desiccant based on a molecular sieve.
 12. The container according to claim 11, wherein the preferably cylindrical holder has a holding element.
 13. The container according to claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap has a knurling.
 14. The container according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the shell surface of the sealing cap has a substantially circumferential sealing cam and the mouth section has a sealing surface, which are in contact.
 15. The container according to claim 1, wherein the container, the sealing cap and/or the ring are made of plastic material, wherein preferably the sealing cap and/or the ring include polyethylene and/or an aromatic and/or aliphatic copolyester and/or the container includes polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and/or polylactide (PLA), particularly preferably polypropylene (PP) and/or high-density polyethylene (HDPE), the sealing cap and/or the ring are injection-molded in one piece and/or include the same material, and/or the sealing cap and/or the ring include a softer plastic material, preferably a plastic material with a lower Shore hardness, than the container.
 16. The container according to claim 1, wherein the sealing cap and the ring are suitable for being slid onto the container in one production step, and that thereby a pretension is caused between the container and the sealing cap, the ring and the tear-off film. 